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Cat scratching bloody scabs on ears, vet can't diagnose. Help!

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 14 years and 5 months old | 8 lbs

My cat is scratching a lot to the point where he bleeds. His ears have scabs on them. I’ve brought him to my vet and they can’t seem to find what’s wrong with him. Any suggestions?

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on October 28th, 2018

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. Neurological problem (orofacial pain) is possible as well but the diagnosis is based on ruling out different causes. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 6th, 2017

    It sounds like Fluffy may have an ear infection, causing his to scratch his ears a lot, leading to the trauma on his ears. He needs to see a vet immediately for this, as it has been going on for months and this will be distressing to him. Causes of ear infections in cats include ear mites, bacteria, and yeast. The vet can diagnose if he does have an ear infection, what is causing it, and can treat him for it.

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 8th, 2019

    Ouch! That does look painful! Unfortunately, it's very likely that Winter is scratching his ear due to an infection. Infections can be caused by ear mites, bacteria or yeast. Treatment is different depending on what is causing the infection. He's also hurting and thus is not likely to let you do any treatment until the pain gets brought under control. I recommend to have Winter see his veterinarian today if possible. The doctor will determine what type of infection is present and also give the appropriate medication. The doctor can also get pain medication and anti-inflammatory medication so that Winter feels better fast. I hope this is helpful and that he starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

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